STL Rising is a blog dedicated to the renaissance of the City of St. Louis.
It's a place to discuss issues and possibilities, all in the spirit of promoting the continuing progress of this great metropolis of the Mississippi Valley.

Monday, February 22, 2010

East Riverfront Improvements

While this blog has focused a lot of attention on the Missouri side of the river, the National Park Service has made plans to improve the east riverfront a focus of its new General Management Plan for the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

Just as St. Louis has spent years trying to figure out how to reconnect the city to the riverfront and Arch grounds, there has been a lot of attention spent on how to revitalize the East St. Louis riverfront. With views of the downtown St. Louis skyline and Arch, the east riverfront has a unique setting.

Those looking to improve the area must address many planning and development challenges including a long distressed local economy, a maze of interstates cutting through the area, railroad rights of way, an aging levee, a flood plain, a massive grain elevator, and a large casino operation.

With $300 million being the estimated cost for implementing the National Park Service's plans for improving the Arch grounds and east riverfront, there might be up to $150 million available for the east side. With such a budget, what would you like to see happen across the river from the Arch?

Since the buyer for the Rams is from Illinois, maybe he would like having a stadium on the east side. He has lots of connections, so maybe he could put together the financing to make it happen.

A stadium in East St. Louis would provide additional tax revenue to the strapped city, it would create good paying jobs for locals during construction, and part time work for ESL residents during events.

More people are likley to attend football games than a museum. As far as an aquarium goes, let's not repeat the Camden mistake.

I would like to see the creation of the classic old waterfront town with residences and shops,narrow streets, etc. It would be an intereting plasce to live and tto visit. It would also provide a intereting view from the Arch grounds